#191 God Is Sitting in The Fire With You

If you’ve been asking, “Where is God while this hurts?” this conversation is for you. I’m talking about refinement, the kind that feels like fire, and why the heat doesn’t mean you’re rejected. It often means God is close, steady, and intentional.

We anchor in Malachi 3:2–3 and sit with the image of God as a refiner who stays at the flame, purifying silver until what’s valuable shines. I connect that to real life: the pain, the pressure, the isolation, and the uncomfortable silence. Sometimes God feels quiet the way a teacher is quiet during a test. Quiet doesn’t mean absent. It means your faith is being exercised, and your growth is happening even before you can see it.

We also get practical about what refinement removes. Impurities can look like habits, doubts, addictions, and even outdated strategies that used to work but no longer serve your spiritual growth. As those layers fall away, identity gets clearer, resilience rises, and your unique voice comes forward. I use vivid images like a seed going down before it comes up, because purpose often forms in hidden places.

At the end, I guide you through journaling prompts to help you name what you’ve been struggling with, acknowledge where God was with you, and identify what He has put in you through the fire, so you can move toward clarity and calling. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s in a refining season, and leave a review with the one line that hit you most.

A journey through spiritual refinement, identity, healing, and growth, learning how pressure produces purpose and reveals the diamond within.

An invitation to come and be a part of what God is building here at God's Diamond Network.  We don't have to go at it alone; this is where we will grow together.

A Christ-centered journey of reset, refinement, and realignment, helping you confront darkness, heal deeply, and walk boldly in your God-given identity and purpose.

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Thank you for listening, and we hope you will return every week.

Transcript

elcome To Diamonds In The Rough

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Hello, hello, and welcome back, guys, Diamonds in the Rough. So glad that you are with me one more time. If you don't know, my name is Catherine, and I am so glad to be with you one more time. Yes, so glad, so glad you decided to come back with me one more week. If this is your first time, welcome in. You are in for a treat because this season is all about refinement. Refinement, refinement. And today's topic is gonna be God is sitting with you in the fire. God is sitting with you in the fire. Hallelujah. We are anchor scripture for this month. Is Malachi chapter 3 verses 2 through 3. And it reads like this it says, But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap, and he shall sit as a revinder and purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. So, all of that being said and done, hope your minds and hearts are ready. Let's pray. Father, I thank you so much for today. Thank you, God, for every ear and every heart that is here. I pray, God, the blessing of the Lord will be upon each and everyone. I say, I pray, God, that you would prepare our hearts and minds to be able to receive this word, these words of life that would help us to go forth from day to day, that would help us uh to be um stronger believers, uh, be the evidence of the power of God working in our lives. We turn this time over to you that you would have your way. We pray it, we ask it all in the precious name of Jesus Christ. We do pray. Amen, amen, and amen. Hallelujah. So I hope you've had a good week. For those of you that are here for the very first time, I am so excited that you would just listen to this because you know, when this first started, all of this first started, uh, God made it very clear that you know, all of the pain and all of the pressure that we experience in this life is not for anything, it is creating a diamond that is from within. Hallelujah. Now you gotta go back to the very beginning of the whole thing, the very first episode, and you'll get the nuggets as to how God showed my husband and I of how who we are aligns the very same way that a diamond is brought into existence. So make sure you check out that first episode for the first timers and for those of you that have come back with me week after week, week after week, week after week. I thank you so much for your support, and please don't hesitate to let me know how this podcast is blessing you. So now we're gonna go on with our talk today. So I just kind of want to remind you of where we've been over the last five weeks. Again, we are in the season of refinement this entire year. We have learned so far, we've really dug into what it really means to walk through refinement. So that was defining the refinement and how it is that is interconnected with the call on your life. Like, what is the reason for it? So we have visited that already, and then last week we uh pretty much summarized: can you endure the refining fire? Like it became a question, like who can? Like, at the end of the day, because we've been given the mind of Christ, we can endure the things that we are, I would say, that God allows uh to happen in our life. What we must do is identify the fire in the context of refinement, like we gotta identify what that looks like, and the reality is that the fire and how it has everything to do, and how it's connected to refinement, is that you know the fire brings forth transformation, and not only that, but it is intentional, so it is not by accident. Hallelujah. I know it is a common thing to common thing for us to associate the fire with pain and hurt. Absolutely, yes, it's all a part of the transformation process. Hallelujah. One thing that we have to realize is that when you a transformer, it has its typical body, but when it transforms, it's transformed into its purpose. Hallelujah. It it goes, it totally changes into what it was really made to do. So when you first see the Transformer cars, I use that for example, you know, they just look like a normal car, a regular airplane, a bus, a train, or whatever. But when it's time for fight mode, it's time for impact and make a difference, they switch to this whole being that you didn't even know exist outside of its shell. You heard what I'm saying? Like all you could see was a shell in the beginning. But once that transformation process happens, everything that you saw on the outside, no longer can you see, but you see this powerhouse that is standing up in the forefront. And so this is what God wants for us. He wants us to be transformed on purpose. Hallelujah. He wants us to be able to experience the fullness of him, and this is why we must know that God is in the midst of whatever we are having to go through in this process. Hallelujah. I'm pausing intentionally. We have to know and we ought to believe He will never leave us nor will he forsake us. That in the midst of refinement, God is sitting with you in that fire. Whatever that fire looks like. Amen. Look, nobody's fire looks the same, but on some level, we all go through the same fires, maybe not at the same time, maybe not to the same intensity or uh severity or capacity, but we all go through these fires, and we must know and believe he will not leave us nor forsake us. I've said it before, I don't know if I've said it here, but when the student is in the midst of the test, the student is in the midst of the test, the teacher does not talk. It doesn't mean that the teacher is not in the room while the test is being administered. Hallelujah. The teacher is quiet, but he's there. So this is where your faith is really in motion because you may not see him, you may not hear him, you may not see him, but it's a thing, a heart posture. You know, he you know that he said he wouldn't leave you, nor would he forsake you. It is something that you know, regardless of what it looks like. Hallelujah. So I thought it was appropriate for us to really look like look, look, taking the scripture and applying it, uh, when we go to it, let's look at it again. And I'm a firm believer, you make sure you have your word, because I could very well lie to you. Look at verse 2 again. He said, But who who but who may abide the day of his coming? So who shall be in the midst? Who shall be able to handle when he comes, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. He says, and he shall sit as a refiner. So God, he ain't gonna just come and you know come in in this, you know, little cute way, but he's coming to shift your life, to change your life, to make you a better version of who you are. He's coming intentionally and on purpose to transform your life, not just transform you, but he says, but as a refiner and a purifier of silver. Hallelujah! And he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord and an offering in righteousness. So, what he says here is that he's gonna allow these things to happen to your life. So when you come before him in spirit and in truth, like you're coming to him in the right way in the right fashion, because the things that were were keeping you apart from him and keeping you from walking into that full version of yourself, he's those things become almost like a barrier to him. Do you hear what I'm saying? Like almost like a barrier or a wall that keeps you from uh being able to authentically come before him, and that's the thing, he wants us to come before him in total righteousness. Hallelujah. And if you've experienced God, you see you can see him, you can see how he allows certain things that in the moment it don't feel good. In the midst of whatever the trial, it doesn't feel good, but when you come out on the other side, you're saying, oh God, yes, I thank you. Hallelujah. So let's identify what it looks like in our time, like in our own personal life, what it looks like to be go through the refiners process, and that refining process is a process of separation happening. What is valuable and what is impurities or waste, like being able to identify the difference between what is valuable and what is not, what are those things that need to be getting gotten rid of? That is the purpose and the point of refinement and purification. Hallelujah. So identify what are the impurities and waste or waste that are taken away from us. These are these things, they look like habits, they look like doubts, they look like outdated ideals or strategies that no longer serve our growth. It no longer serves your growth. Habits, doubts, the old way of doing things, the old strategies, that no longer is pushing you or driving you to grow. And so those are the things that through the refinement and purification process that are gotten rid of while you're left with the gold, with the value. That is finding your identity, finding your identity. And when you find your identity, you find your resilience, you find your unique voice, you find your true purpose, you find out what you were born to do, what you were born to be. I mean, it just brings to life really the life of a seed, because when a seed goes into the ground, it has an outer shell. It's not until it gets into the ground, it doesn't, it's not until it gets in into the favorable conditions like the right temperature, the right depth, the right, the darkness, and into out of sight. You heard what I'm saying? Because what happens once it gets in those conditions is getting the vitamins that it needs, the sunlight, the amount of water, it gets all of it needs. The seed is able to separate from what is on the outside, and what is on the inside is able to be nourished because what's on the outside of the seed must fall off. And you think, and I've explained this a thousand times, Philai. You think that it just goes straight up and and out above the ground. No, it goes down deeper into the ground before it begins to come back up out of the ground. You heard what I'm saying? When it goes down deeper, that that seed is in the midst of its refinement because what is on the outside is now falling off, and what's on the inside is able to come to life. This is that when that seed is able to come to life, that is the gold that we need to tap into. You got to tap into the into your own voice because it's easy for us to sound like somebody else. It's easy to copycat or repeat what somebody else has already done or doing. It's it it is hard for us to trust that the voice that we hear, the voice that we use, the voice that we have tapped in, it's hard for us to, in the beginning, and initially to go forward with because there's a level of uncertainty, a level to a level of unsurety. But again, while you're in that fire, God is sitting right there with you, championing you on to say, yes, do it, yes, do it. Don't worry about what they think, don't worry about how they look at you, don't worry about this. Is what I've called you to do. This is the purpose, this is the reason why I brought you into this earth. I brought you here to do this. I brought you here to do that. Let's not be so concerned about that, and that's that that that's really that's that's what keeps people from tapping into their full potential. They're more concerned about the voice of man than they are about the voice of God. Be concerned about the voice of God and what he has for you to do. So this refiner and this and the purification, the more you go through this process, the more of an increase of purity is revealed in you. Again, like you can't see what is happening in the midst of the fire. You you can't see, all you can feel is what you feel in that moment. The pain, the hurt, the the isolation, all of that. That's how you feel in the moment. You can't see what is coming out of it until you come out of it. And here's the thing, see, once that in that the increase of purity is revealed to you, this is what you would call maturity. You are you are maturing. And as you mature, you're able to see much clearer because you have clarity. And once you have clarity, you are able to focus on the things that really matter. So rather than trying to focus on a hundred things, now you're at the point where you might want to focus on one, and you get focused on the one. Maybe you can pick up one more to focus on. Hallelujah. But this is what you want. You want to mature so much so that you gain clarity so that you know that the steps you are taking are that of the Lord's. Hallelujah. When you're doing a hundred things, a thousand things, and listening to all these voices, it's hard to discern. What voice is God? What voice is God saying, which direction God is saying to go. Hallelujah. And from when you get to the point where you know you can focus on that one thing, you can begin to see a strength you couldn't see before. You can begin to see in yourself and see yourself the way that God sees you, unapologetically. Hallelujah. And what do I mean? You're not concerned about what they say or think. Hallelujah. Not that you're arrogant or prideful, but when you once you're walking in your car and you know that you know that you know this is what you're supposed to do, it don't matter what they think. Hallelujah. You gotta trust God more than you trust anybody or anything else. And knowing that whatever you are going through in this season, whatever you're going through today, whatever you went through yesterday, it is for your good. Hallelujah. Now, we got 10 minutes left in the show. And what I want you to do now, I want you to think about what has been unveiled. I want you to grab your journal and I want you to write this down. Now, if you are driving or you're busy, I want to urge you, I urge you to re-listen at a point where you can do these exercises. Have a seat and take some time with the Lord. Hallelujah. Now, and I will tell, and I'm gonna tell you too, I'm gonna do the same thing when I listen to this again myself. I'm gonna do this exercise because this is for all of us. Like this whole thing, this refining season on God's diamond and rough, it's it's about our relationship with him, and again, us really seeing ourselves the way that he does. So the first thing I want you to write is God, and I want you to put in parentheses, okay? God has been sitting with me. And I want you to put dot dot dot. Okay. God has been sitting with me. That's the first thing I want you to do. Write down. Okay. Now the next thing is when I was struggling with. Okay? So you first thing you're gonna write it down is God has been sitting with me. The next next exercise number two is when I was struggling with. Okay? When I was struggling with God, dot dot. Now I want you to write down as much as as much as comes to your mind. Okay, whatever comes to your mind right now, write it down. Hallelujah, just write it down. Because right now, what is happening is God is talking to you. Now, those of us, those folk who don't know the voice of God, the Bible clearly says, My sheep know my voice. Now is the time he's gonna teach you his voice. You're gonna learn his voice because I promise you, if you wait for him to reveal it, he will speak. Now, this is an earnest, a heart posture. Hallelujah. You mean what you're asking, you and you mean it like you really want to know, he will reveal it to you. Hallelujah. So, I want you to take some time, even if you have to pause, pause the uh podcast for you to take the time and write all of them down that come to you. Now, it might just be one thing, but then it could be 10 things, it could be 20 things. Whatever the Lord speaks to you in this moment, I want you to write it down. Okay. Now, number three. Like I said, pause it, write it down, pick it up. Number three, I want you to make the make the list. Make the list. And after you make the list, I want you to write down. God, you were with me. God, you were with me. Period. This is you talking back to God. God, you were with me. Because what you're doing now is you're acknowledging that he was sitting with you while you were struggling with what? Was it alcoholism? Was it adultery? Was it gluttony? I mean, what was the things? Remember, the things are what? Habits, doubts, and what? Outdated ideals and strategies that no longer serve you in your growth. So these are the things that you're gonna be writing down that you struggled with. The habits, the doubts, the things that you were doing that now no longer are effective. You're sitting, you're saying, Man, I was doing this, this ain't working no more. Why this not working no more? It's outdated. Okay? So when it's outdated or it's no longer helping you to grow, that's when you say, I struggle with reading my word every morning at you know, a certain time for a certain amount of. You know what I mean? I struggle with that. But what but what I know is that when I read any time during the day when he spoke to me, that was working for me. So what you used to do, like for me, I'll use myself for example. Like I used to, when I first got saved, I used to get up a whole two hours before I even went to work or did anything just to spend time with the Lord. I used to fast all the time, once a week. I used to. I don't do that anymore. It was and it got to the point where it wasn't serving my growth. It became a ritual and not the purpose it's for. It was it became a ritual. So it wasn't serving me no well. Yes, it was a good thing, but it wasn't serving my growth. So I hope that that example, those examples help you to create this list so you can identify what you're thanking him for. Because after you write, God, you are with me. Thank you for not leaving me. Right now, you're having a conversation with the Lord about, hey, I didn't realize that you took this thing from me. I didn't realize that that was a fire. I didn't realize that that's what that was. I knew it was hard and I knew it was painful, but I didn't realize it was something that was meant to strengthen me. I didn't realize there was something that was meant to make me better. I didn't realize it was something that would make me find my voice. I didn't realize it was something that would help aid in me finding my true purpose. I I didn't realize that that was something that would build my reserve my resilience and my perseverance. I didn't realize at the time it hurt me and it angered me, it frustrated me, it irritated me. But I didn't realize, see, right now we're in a place where we're realizing, oh man, God, I thank you that you stayed with me while I went through that. I thank you that you were right with me when I had to go through that. You became my comfort, comfort in the middle of a storm. Thank you, God. Hallelujah. Number four. And after each one, if you need to pause, pause it and then come to the next one. So I see in myself what you put there. Now, this is what you're gonna write. I see in myself what you put there. I just said I just said it. What came out of the storm? What came out of the things, out of the habits, out of the doubts, out of the outdated strategies, out of the things that are no longer serving my growth? What came out of it? This is where you're gonna put that. This is where you're gonna be like, oh man, now I see in my in my now. I can see what you put there. I can see it now. Now, and then number five, and it's the final one, is my purpose is see by now, you ought to be able to be able to identify, even if you don't you can't identify at all, you should be able to identify at least a part of your purpose here at this point, yes? So I'm so grateful that you would allow me to be able to pour in in this manner. Wow, I'm wild myself, but um, as we come to a close, I just want to pray over this process, pray over you as you go forth and and um really finding your best self. Yes, Father, we thank you so much. Thank you so much for your grace and your mercy. Thank you, God, for allowing us to be able to really tap into uh what it looks like to realize and come come to the reality that you are right there in the midst of the fire while we're going through it, that you don't leave us and you don't forsake us. Father, we just bless you, we bless your name, God. We just say thank you. I pray for each and every one, God. I started to say, I pray for that young lady who is here, struggling, struggling to see, be able to accept, being able to tap in to who they really are. I pray for the young man, the young woman who is struggling, trying to hold on to the past, trying to hold on to habits and addictions and and and doubts and things of that nature, God. It ain't serving them. I pray, God, that they put their whole trust in you. In the name of Jesus, I pray, God, that this exercise blesses your people. Continue to use me to your glory. Father, I just thank you so much for clarity. Thank you so much for focus. Thank you so much for just leading and guiding me in the way that you would have me to go. Father, I just pray that everyone that encounters this podcast is able to see you. Father, have your way. We bless each and every one. We give you glory, we give you honor. In Jesus Christ's name we do pray. Amen, amen, amen, hallelujah. Thank y'all for hanging in there with me. I pray that you stay till the end. Make sure you come on back with me next week. Uh, we're gonna be talking about the fire is removing what can't go forward. The fire is going to remove what can't go forward. I am so excited about this whole year and and just the outline that God has given me. I just know that some souls are gonna be set free and gonna be a better version of themselves. So make sure y'all come on out next week. And so much love, so many blessings from me to you. Y'all have a great day, and we'll see you next time.